1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to indexing systems for rotary orienters. Rotary orienters position articles being conveyed on a conveyor system so that a feature of each article is facing in the same predetermined direction, for example, with a handle leading. The invention is directed to an improved apparatus for indexing the rotation of articles, rotating them rapidly but smoothly to a precise predetermined orientation about their vertical axis. The apparatus may be used in conjunction with filling, capping, labeling and inspection of containers, or other similar operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The packaging industry handles many different articles that must be packaged, filled, processed, or acted on in some manner. These articles are made in many different sizes and shapes that are not necessarily symmetrical. They may have a handle and/or an opening, and so forth, that is off center. In the packaging industry, the articles may require that a label be applied to a particular side, or that a product be inserted through an opening in the article, or some other requirement that necessitates the articles being oriented in a uniform manner while being processed along a production line. It is then necessary to index the opening of the articles to be filled so that the opening of each article is uniformly aligned with the filling spout. The articles may be introduced to a linear conveyor system with these key features randomly oriented; for example, the opening into a container. Therefore, it becomes necessary to rotate the articles until the selected feature is in the same precise location in relation to each other and in relation to the production equipment. An indexing system is critical to ensure the rotation of the article is to the same precise orientation so that the next apparatus in the production line may operate on the article with the same result.
Various apparatus for orienting articles, which use various indexing methods, are well-known in the packaging industry. The patent to Schneemann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,244, illustrates a complex apparatus for incrementally rotating a turntable from one workstation position to another. This apparatus is actuated by a linearly translating driver. The primary purpose of the apparatus is to firmly lock the turntable with a locking pawl at each workstation The apparatus does not permit selective rotation and is overly complex for use in orienting articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,714, issued to Takao Matsumoto, uses a friction wheel attached to the rotatable table that selectively engages a centrally driven friction wheel for rotation of the table. A detection device issues a signal to the indexing system to initiate rotation. A terminating signal frees the friction wheel of the rotatable table from the central friction wheel. An electromagnetic brake is used to stop the rotation of the rotatable table in response to the terminating signal. The use of friction wheels and electromagnetic brakes provide a system that is imprecise.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,154 discloses yet another method for rotation of containers, however this rotation is for inspection or labeling purposes of round containers and precise positioning is unnecessary.
Notwithstanding the existence of such prior art indexing systems, it remains clear that there is a need for a rotary orienter having an indexing system that will permit smooth and precise rotation of an article to a predetermined position to enable further production steps to be precisely undertaken.